CVE-2022-22658 is a vulnerability in Apple iOS that arises from improper input validation when processing email messages. Specifically, a maliciously crafted email can trigger a denial-of-service (DoS) condition on the affected device. The vulnerability is classified under CWE-20, which relates to improper input validation. When an iOS device processes such a malformed email, it may crash or become unresponsive, leading to a disruption in service availability. This issue was addressed by Apple in iOS version 16.0.3 through improved input validation mechanisms. The vulnerability has a CVSS 3.1 base score of 6.5, indicating a medium severity level. The vector string (CVSS:3.1/AV:N/AC:L/PR:N/UI:R/S:U/C:N/I:N/A:H) shows that the attack can be launched remotely over the network without privileges and with low attack complexity, but requires user interaction (opening or previewing the malicious email). The impact is limited to availability, with no confidentiality or integrity loss. There are no known exploits in the wild as of the published date, and no specific affected iOS versions were detailed beyond the fix being in 16.0.3. This vulnerability primarily affects the Mail app or any iOS component responsible for email processing.

For European organizations, this vulnerability poses a risk mainly to employees and executives using iOS devices for email communications. A successful exploitation could cause device crashes or temporary unavailability, potentially disrupting business operations, especially for roles heavily reliant on mobile email access. While the impact is limited to denial-of-service and does not compromise data confidentiality or integrity, repeated or targeted attacks could degrade productivity and cause operational interruptions. Organizations with Bring Your Own Device (BYOD) policies or those that deploy iOS devices extensively in their workforce are more susceptible. Additionally, sectors such as finance, government, and critical infrastructure that rely on timely and reliable communications may experience operational risks. However, since exploitation requires user interaction and no privilege escalation is involved, the threat is somewhat mitigated by user awareness and patching.

1. Ensure all iOS devices within the organization are updated to iOS 16.0.3 or later to apply the patch that fixes this vulnerability. 2. Implement mobile device management (MDM) solutions to enforce timely OS updates and monitor device compliance. 3. Educate users to be cautious when opening or previewing emails from unknown or suspicious senders to reduce the risk of triggering the DoS condition. 4. Configure email gateways and security appliances to filter and block suspicious or malformed emails that could exploit this vulnerability. 5. Employ advanced email security solutions that perform content inspection and sandboxing to detect and quarantine potentially malicious emails before delivery to end users. 6. Establish incident response procedures to quickly identify and remediate devices affected by this DoS condition to minimize operational impact.